Automatic selective timing mechanism



April 2o, 1926. 1,581,753

W` F. MAYER AUTOMATIC SELECTIVE TIMING MECHNISM Original Filed July l. 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 20, 192s.

W. F. MAYER AUTOMATIC SELECTIVE TIMING MECHANISM Original Filed July 1. 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 20 1926.

W. F. MAYER AUTOMATIC SELECTIVE TIMING MECHANISM Original Filed July l' 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Apr. 20, '1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT- o FFlcE.

'WALDEMR F. MAYER, 0F YONKERS,'NW YORK, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE v.ASSI(1-N' MENTS, rro GREAT EASTERN LAUNDRY MACHINERY COMPANY, or NRW Yoan'.

N. Y., A COBPOATION 0F NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC SELECTIVE TIMING yMIEHANISM'..

Application led July I, 1924, Serial No. "723,603, Benewed March 11, 1926.

Timing Mechanisms, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the figures of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to automatic timing mechanism for folding and other machines. `The object of the invention-is to provide an improved timing mechanism whereby it is possible to control, .in a predetermined way, the operation of machines which fold, measure, divide or cut oif the material fed to them at random, as used in textile, laundry, rolling mill, paper and blue printing industries, and also in starting and stopping.

apparatus. The improved timer may e designed to handle every length of piece in different ways, but it will be described in the present instance in connection with a fo1d.

ing machine, wherein said timer will control the folding as follows: Long pieces may be folded in four equal parts; medium length pieces in three equal parts; short pieces in two equal parts. By adding an additional timing plate, the same folder can be o erated so that each length of piece wil be f folded either in four, three or twoequal 'parts depending on the way the timer is set. The above objects are accomplished by the construction shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a central vertical section of the timer;

Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the release mech-- anism -of the timer in the act of releasing a contact button;

` Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation showing mechanism for lifting the Contact button to the adjusted position on its rotating carrier' V5 is a sectional elevation of the timer at right angles to Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is asectional elevation of a folding machine having my improved timing mechamsm, and arranged to receive articles from an ironmg machine;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary front elevation of the same; i

Fig. 8 isa detail of the first folding device, and Fi is a similar view of the second foldmg evice,

Flg. 10 is a detail sectional view of one of the magnet buttons.

, The folding machine is placed adjacent to the roller 2 at the delivery end of an ironing machine, from which the ironed articles pass to the endless tape 3 of the folding machine. These tapes 3 pass around a roller 3 up to and around al roller 32, thence forwardly Ato a roller 33, thence rearwardly-fand around the -rst folding roller 8, over the folding roller 10, downwardly and forwardly and under the roller 3*, upwardly lte roller 3. Overlying the upper run of the tapes 3 is a seriesV of endless tapes 5 passing around rolls 4 and 32 parallel to the tapes v3 and from rolls 32 back to roll 3, thence inwardly and upwardly toroll 4', forwardly to roll 42 and down to roll. 4. Thearticles to be folded enter at roll 4 between` the two sets of tapes and are carried thereby up to roll 8, over which they hang as shown at 1r in Fig. 6. Over the roll 8 is mounted the rst folder blade 9 curved as shown, to fold the article linv3 and 11 to the lower roll 12 at which point the second folder blade 13 is mounted so as to force the article between folding rolls 12 and 14, whence it passes rearwardly to a fourth set of tapes 15 which extend around roll l14 and rearwardly to and around a roll 14 atwhich point the folded articles are delivered to any suitable table 16. The folding action of the two folder blades 9 and 13 is clearly shown in Figures 8 and 9, respectively. c

The folder blade 9 is pivoted on its upper side between its ends as at 9 to any suitable sup ort at the underside of a solenoid 46, the p unger 7 3 of which is pivotally con- -mounted a shaft 29 nected at its lower end to the adjacent end of the folder blade 9 as shown in Fig. 6. '.lhe second folder blade 13 is pivoted in like manner as at 13 to a suitable support and connected by a link 132 to the plunger 74 of a second solenoid 47.

A measuring switch 7 is mounted at an ineline below the roller 4 and is rovided with a pivoted finger 6 which, at lts u. per end passes up between the tapes 3 an 5 so as to lie in the atli of the sheets or articles passin there tween. The lower end of the switch finger 6 works Ibetween two contacts 65 and 66 and is normally draw'n away from contact 66 by :1 -spring 7'; the article assing over the finger 6 holds the finger down and its lower end in contact with the contact 66 until the end of the article or sheet passes beyond the upper end ofl finger 6. The contacts 65 and 66 are connected by wiresf65 and 66 with supply and return wires controlled by switches 67 and 68, res ctively. v Should it be desired to pass the ieets 1 through the folding machine without folding them, the folding blades 9 and 13 are rendered inoperative and theI sheets will fall over roll 8 and down upon table 16 unfolded. The ironer, folder and timer are -all mechanically connected, and therefore, travel in certain definite speed ratio. The housing 25 of the timer mechanism is bolted to the frame 26 of the folding machine by means of bolts 27, and said timer serves to control the actuation of the folder blades 9`and 13, as will be presently described. A

Within the casing 25 and its cover 30 is rovided with a drive pinion 32 meshing with a smaller pinion 31 on a short counter shaft 31 provided with a drive sprocket 24 driven by the vsprocket chain 21 which is driven by a sprocket 17 from the ironing machine by sprocket chain 18 and sprockets 19 and 20.

rlhe s rocket chain 21 also drives the roll 32, and t e roller 10 through its sprocket 23 so that both the folding machine and its timing mechanism are driven from the ironing machine. On shaft 29 there is secured a pair of contact carriers in the form of iron disks 28, 28, between which is a fixed non-electric control disk 33 of fiber or bakelite, which has a series of fixed curved contact strips 34, 35, 36 and 37 inserted therein, and exposed through both faces of the support 33, said contact strips being exsolenid 46 is also connected by wiring to the leading in or main return wire 67 controlled by switch 67, while solenoid 47 is wired to thereturn wire 68 controlled by switch 68. The case 25 of the timer is connected by a wire 25"* to the main wire 67.

The lower portion of the control disc 0r carrier 33 is provided with a return cam 38 on each side and between the lower edges oi these two cams 38 and the bottom of the circular casing 25 are spaces forming two throats 71, in back of wluch is placed a lurality of loose contact buttons 39. Tiese loose contacts 39 are permanent magnets so v adhere to the iron disks, and each has mounted therein a contact ball 40 pressed outwardly by spring 41 into engagement with contact strips 34 to 37.

y Below the outlet end of each of the throats 7l, 71 is placed a spring pressed, pivoted detent or releaser 42, the upper ends of which project up into the path of the lowermost contact button 39, so that said buttons will be held in the throats 71 until released by detents 42. The springs 69 press the toe of each detent or trigger 42 upwardly into the path of the contact buttons 39, while the opposite or heel end is raised to release a contact button 39, by means of what I term measuring plungers 54, 54, the upper ends of which plungers are provided with a recess 70, the lower wall of which engages the detents 42 to release a contact button 39, which butto-n adhering to the iron disk 28 will be moved into the recess 70, at which moment the measurin plunger 54 will move upwardly and carry t e magnet contact button 39 to the position it is to occupy relative to the contact strips 34 to 37. The upwardv movement of the lungers 54 is effected by means of the frictlon driven rolls 50, 50 (see Figures 4 and 5) and the pressure rolls 55, 55 mounted on the upper ends of armature levers 57 pivoted between their ends as at 56. Each armature lever 57 is moved outwardly at its lower end by the energizing of the timer solenoid 59, through its connection 60, 61 with the measuring switch 7. The friction rolls 50, 50 are driven from shaft 29 by means of a pinion 53 thereon which meshes with a large pinion 52which in turn meshes with a smaller pinion 51 on the shaft 50 of the friction rolls 50.l The plungers 54 are held to travel in astraight line by means of lower guide rolls 58, 58. When a plunger 54 is released after having raised a contact button 39. to the proper extent radially upon the iron disk 28,; it will drop by gravity, its lower end entering one of the cushioning cups or ockets 62. .These cups 62 are mounted in t readed bearings 62 in thebottom of the casing 48, and each has a worm gear 622 formed upon it and engaged by a worm Ishaft 63 having an exterior op# erating handle by means of which the cups" `making contact at 65, 66. The current entering at main switch l67 passes through timer solenoid 59 and back into line 68. The solenoid 59 is kept energized as long as the sheet depresses the contact finger 6. The

energized solenoid 59 attracts the armature' lever and presses the measuring plunger 54, by means of pressure roll 55, against the revolving friction feed roll 50, which startslthe measuring plunver in its upward motion. Then the upwa y moving plunger engages the trigger or detent which causes it to release one contact button 39 and block the rest of them. Spring 69 returns the trigger-or detent as shown in Fig. 4. When a contact button is so released, it'will be carried by the iron disk. 28 at a higher rate of speed than the motion of the plunger and is caught by the recess 70 of the plunger as shown in Fig. 3. The contact utton is carriedV upward as longl as the sheet 1 passes over switch finger 6, and the moment that the passing edge of the sheet breaks the contact 65, 66,the solenoid 59 will be deener 'zed whereupon the roll 55 will be relieve of pressure and plunger 54 will drop from its raised position (Fig.,4)

- to its down position shown in Fig. 5, this leaving the contact button in its elevated position, and carried around by the' iron disk to which it is held by magnetic force. Thebutton so positioned will first cross the contact strip 3, and it willbe carried around on the same circle till it strikes the return cam which will guide it back radially and concentrically into the throat 71 where it will be stopped by the button ahead of it, the iron disk continuing to revolve.

The Acontact strips are laid out so that by the time the released button 39 reaches strip 34, the sheet 1 will have traveledover the roll 8 a certain-predetermined length, for instance, half its original length. When the ball 40 of contact button .39 touches the strip 34, it closes the electric circuit. The current entering the' timer housingl at 72 from, line 67 passes through casing, shaft The bottoms of thc ad-- and iron disk 28, through magnetic button 39, -spring 41, ball 40, strip 34, to terminal 43, thence to first fold .solenoid 46 energizs ing the plunger 73, and back'to the line 68. The energized plunger 73 swings the folder blade 9 at the proper moment' into the fold'- ing position as shown in Fig. 8. As the contact button 39 passes from strip 34, plunger 73. will be lcle-energized and -it drops back and opens the folder blade 9 again.

The singly folded sheet 1 is then carried over roll I12, and when thequarter length of the original sheet length passes over, the button 39 will havearrived at the contact strip 36 which closes the electric circuits 67', 72, 45, 47 and 68', thereby energizing the second fold solenoid 47, which'actuates plunger 74 to throw the second Ifolder blade 13 into its opera-tive position thereby forcing the sheet between rolls 12 and 14, from which it will be delivered, doubly folded in four equal parts to the table 16.

It is obvious that the same length of sheet will cause the contact button 39 to travel in.

the same circular path, but should a sheet of medium length pass the measuring switch 6, 7, the plunger 54 will not be fed as high as'it was by the former long sheet. The

assing shorter sheet will break' the circuit of'solenoid 59 earlier and let the plunger 54 drop, thus releasing the button 39 on its path indicated in Fig. 5 where the button in its 'new position is indicated at 39. When the button 39 reaches strip 35, the sheet hangs two-thirds of its original length -over roll 8 and the blade 9 folds it in that position because button 39 closes the circuit of solenoid 46. When the button 39 reaches strip 37, circuit for solenoid 47 is closed and at that time one-third of original sheet length is hanging over roll 12 whereupon blade 13 will be actuated from the solenoid 47 and make the seco-nd fold and the sheet will be delivered, folded in three equal parts, upon the table 16.

A short piece will cause the plunger 54 to feed the button a short distance radially upon the iron disk and the plunger then releases it to travel on the circular path as indicated by the path of the button indicated by 392 in Fig. 5, passing only strip 34,- and therefore, making onel fold only. It`

lwill be seen therefore, that the length of the parts so actuated herein.

' The other side of the control disk 28 is laid out with continuous strips of which either 34 and 36 are operative to give quarterfolds for all lengt is of sheets, or stri 35 and 37 are made operative to give fo ds so lthat all sheets are folded in three equal parts. By simply turning switch -75 over to the dotted position 7 6 the solenoid 59 for the second plunger 54 is rendered operative and solenoid 59 is rendered inoperative.

Contact buttons shiftable along the `face of a rotary carrier toward and from the axis to vary the circular paths does away with and greatly simplifies the previously known constructions in which contacts -Were alternately connected to the peripheries of wheels of different speeds.

While I have shown the timer operatively connected with a folding machine, I do not restrict myself to such use, as it may be used in connection with various machines where such a mechanism is required. Nor do I restrict myself to the particular construc- .tion of parts shown, as these may be widely varied without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I have termed the contacts 39, buttons, merely for clearness in reierring to them, and do not thereby restrict myself to any particular configuration of such contacts.

It will be understood that a broad feature of my invent-ion includes the shifting of the ,Contact buttons in Iany direction on the face of a rotary character. It would be within the purview of my invention to create a magnetic field through the whole timing device, under which conditions plain steel buttons would adhere to the iron disks in any adjusted position. Should the rotary carriers be Iarranged horizontally, the buttons might be shiftably held by friction alone, by making the revolving side surface of larger frictional resistance than the contact side. 0r, if desired, the buttons might be held to the carrier by suction or vacuum.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is-

1. The combination of timing mechanism; of a rotary contact carrier and a contact button held on the face of the carrier and sliiftable in any direction on the face of said carrier.

2. The combination in a timing mechanism, with a rotary contact carrier and a support adjacent to one face thereof provided with ixed contacts, of a plurality of contact buttons adapted to be picked up by the rotary contact carrier and held movably to the face thereof, and means for shifting the contact but-tons along the face of the rotary carrier toward and from the axisv and into operative relation with certain of the fixed contacts.

3. The combination in a timing mechanism, with a rotary contact carrier and a wsrf/sa support adjacent to one face of said carrier.

provided with fixed contacts, of a plurality I of contact buttons adapted to be picked upby said rotary carrier and held movably to released contact button toward the axis of the rotary carrier, and means lfor returningl the said contact to its original position.

4. The combination in a timing mechanism with a rotary contact carrier and a support adjacent to one face of said carrier provided with fixed contacts, of a plurality of contact buttons between which and said rotary carrier magnetic relation exists to cause the contact buttons to adhere movably to the face-of the rotary carrier in any adjusted position, means for releasing one contact button at a time to the action of the rotary carrier, means for shifting the button movably along the face of the rotary carrier to a predetermined position in proper relation to any one of said fixed contacts, and means for returning the Contact button to its original sition...

.5. The combination in a timing mechanism with a rotary iron contact carrier, and a fixed support parallel to one face thereof and having a series of spaced fixed contacts, of a series of loose permanent magnets having contact points for engagement with said spaced fixed contacts, means for successively releasing said magnets to permit them to be picked up by the adjacent face of the iron disk, and carried thereby in a. circular path into electric contact with the said fixed spaced contacts.

6. The combination in a timing mechanism with a rotary iron contact carrier, and a fixed support parallel to one face of said iron contact carrier, a series of fixed spaced contacts' on'said fixed support next to the face of the iron contact carrier', of a series of permanent magnets past which the face of the iron contact carrier travels, means for releasin one of said ma nets at a time-t0 the pic up action of t e rotary carrier, means for shifting the magnet, so picked up radially along the face of said iron carrier into operative relation to any of said fixed contacts, and means for returning the magnet so released back to its original position.

7. The combination in a timing mechanism with parallel rotary contact carriers, and an intermediate control member having contact blades on its two faces variably s aced and exposed, of two series of mova le contact buttons adapted to be picked up by the inner faces of the respect-ivel rotary carriers and carried into contact with said fixed contact blades, means for releasing the contact buttons of either vseries to the pick up action of the respective rotary carriers, and means for shifting the released button nism,

of either-series radially on the face of its rotary carrier, and means for returning the button so carried back to its original position.

8. The combination in a timing mechawith a rotating iron contact carrier and a control member having fixed contact blades variably spaced next to one face of the said rotary carrier, a series of permanent contact forming magnets adapted` to be picked up by the face o said rotating carrier and carried into contact with the proper contact blades, a trigger or detent in the path of themagnets, a plunger adapted to actuate the said trigger or detent and release one of the magnets and in its further movement move the magnet radially along rotary drive wheel at one side of the plunger to raise it, and normally out of opera` the face of the rotary carrier a predetermined distance to make contact with the proper fixedjeontact blade, and means for returningthe magnet back to its original position.

9. The combination in a timing mechanism, with two parallel rotating iron contact carriers, and an intermediate member having contact blades variably spaced and exposed on both sides, of a series of-loose permanent contact forming magnetsadapted to be picked up by the inner faces of the respective'iron contact carriers and carried" thereby into contact with the proper contact blades, triggers or detents in the paths of said contact forming magnets, plungers held to move vertically and first actuate the trigger or detent to release a contact magnet and then in its further upward movement move the contact magnet radially alone' the face of the rotary carrier a predetemined distance to contact with the proper fixed contact blade, means for throwing either of said plungers into operation, and 4means for returning the contact magnet back to its original position. Y

10. The combination in a timing mechanism, with the rotary contact carrier, and a series of loose contacts co-acting therewith at the lower side thereof, of a plunger adapted at its upper end to receive and move a loose contact radially along the vface of said rotary carrier a predetermined distance,'a

tive relationtherewith, and an electrically controlled device `for throwing the plunger -into operative relation withsaid drive wheel and releasing it at predetermined time.

11. The combination, in a timing mechanism, with a rotary contact carrier and series of loose contacts therebelow and constructed to be picked up by said carrier, of a plunger adapted at its upper end to move a loose contact radially to diierent positions A on] said rotary carrier, a drive wheel adjacent to one s ide of said plunger, an armature lever pivoted at` the opposite side of said plunger, an armature lever to force the plunger mto engagement with the drive wheel, and a solenoid for actuating and releasing the plunger operating armature tically adjustable cup to receive the lower end of the falling plunger.

13. The combination, in a timing mechanism, of a rotary contact carrier and contact buttons magnetically held and shiftable upon a face of said rotary carrier and each having a spring pressed contact on its side opposite the part engaging the carrier.

14. The combination, in a timing mechanism, of a rotary Contact carrier, and a contact ,butt-on magnetically held to one face of the .carrier and shiftable radially thereon, and a spring pressed ball in the button oppositeits end engaging the rotary carrier.

15. .The combination, in a timing mechanism, of a rotary iron disk, and a .contact button constructed as a permanent magnet to adhere at one end to a face of the disk and shiftable radially thereon, said magnet hav- -inga spring pressed contact at its opposite end.

' 16. The combination with a machine provided with means for carrying an article therethrough and provided with a switch controlled by the passing article, means rfor acting upon the article after it passes and opens the switch, solenoids for actuating the means acting upon the article, and a timin mechanism having fixed contacts electrically connected to said solenoid, a rotary contact carrier adjacent to said contacts, radially shiftable contact buttons adapted to be picked up and carried by the rotary contact carrierelectrically controlled means for shifting the contact buttons to bring them into operative relation with the fixed contacts and in the line controlled from the article operated switch.

- 17. .The combination in' a; timing mechanism, with the vertically operating plunger' for actuating the movable'contact buttons,

'of a vertically adjustable c up to receive the lower end of the plunger, 'said cup having a screw threaded engagement with a supporting element and provided therebeyond with a Worm and a manually operable worm shaft'-engaging said worm to adjust said cupl structed to be successively-picked up and" carried around by said carrier, fixed spaced contacts adjacent to the face of said rotary carrier, electrically controlled shiftingmeansfor movin the said contact buttons ral dially on t e face of the rotary carrier to engage the proper fixed contact said .shifting means being 'in -turn controlled from the article controlled switch and said fixed contacts being in circuit with electric-controls of the folder blades.

19. The combination in a timing mechanism with the vertically'operating plunger for actuating the movable contact buttons, of a vertically adjustable cup to receive the lower end of the plunger, saidcup having a screw threaded engagement with a suLpporting element and provided therebeyon with a Worm and a manually operable worm shaft engaging said Worm to adjust said cup and the plunger resting therein, a trigger or. detent to release the Contact buttons one at a, time and operable by the above contact button shifting means, and means for returning the contact buttons to their original position for succeeding operations by said ifotary carrier.

20. A timing mechanism comprising a suitable casing, a driven shaft journaled transversely in the upper portion of the casing, two vparallel iron disks securedto said shaft, a control disk mounted between said iron disks and provided with curved spaced fixed contact blades exposed for dif- -ferent lengths at opposite sides of said control disk, binding posts at the outer ends of said fixed contact blades, return cams, a throat below the cams, two series of magnetic contact buttons mounted' in said throats, two pivoted spring pressed triggers or detents, one end of each of which lies in the path of said contact buttons, a lower casing depending from the bottom ofthe first-named casing` lunger actuating Wheels driven from the s aft of the rotary iron disks, vertically movable plungers adjacent to said two Wheels, armature levers pivoted alongside said plungers and movable at their upper ends toward said plungers to force them into operative contact with said plunger actuating wheels, electro-magnetic means for actuating the lower ends of the armature levers and binding posts connected to said electro-magnetic means, the' upper ends of the plungers first actuating the triggers to release a contact button and then receiving the contact button so released and carried by the iron disk and secondly moving said contact button radially along the iron disk to a predetermined position relativeto any of the fixed contact blades.

In testimony whereof, I aiiix my signature.

WALDEMAR F. MAYER. 

